Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 1. The cozy "always room for one more" theme never seems to get old, and Wheeler's jolly, rhythmic text sets a fine pace for the story of Farmer Dale's truck that takes a cow, sheep, pig, and goat on board before it breaks down: "Farmer Dale's red pickup truck / stood stranded in the road. / 'It seems you have a problem,' / a cocky rooster crowed." Indeed. Fortunately, all the animals pitch in and get the truck moving again: "The pickup bounced and shimmied. / It groaned and squeaked and wheezed. / It spit a thankful cloud of smoke / and started with a sneeze." Farmer Dale eventually makes it into town with his load of hay--and the talent contest banner on the last page explains what all the town-bound farm animals were doing with accordions, skates, and the like. Bates' expressive, action-packed watercolor illustrations of the overloaded rig recall those of the popular Sheep in a Jeep series, and youngsters may be equally captivated by this familiar, cheerful ride. --Karin Snelson Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wheeler (Uncles and Antlers, reviewed Sept. 27) introduces Farmer Dale, a neighborly sheepdog hauling a load of hay in the back of his red truck. Along the way, the hero accommodates a hitchhiking, imperious cow. But when he goes on to pick up a dapper sheep wearing a straw boater, a pig on roller skates and an accordion-playing nanny goat (each resents the presence of the others) the poor old pickup spits, sputters, coughs, wheezes, hiccups and finally peters out: "The truck bounced up. The springs all popped./ The bumper bumped. The pickup stopped." Can Farmer Dale count on the freeloaders to help out? As Bates (who teamed up with Wheeler on One Dark Night) builds up to the story's big moment, his crayon and watercolor pictures echo scenes from a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. The seeming effortlessness and fluidity of the compositions play counterpoint to the outlandishness of the situation and the comic pettiness of the characters. But the spirit of cooperation triumphs as a hearty joint push gets the truck rolling again. Curiously, the book then comes to an abrupt end: Farmer Dale simply drops off his passengers at a talent contest in town and drives on. Some readers may be disappointed not to savor the animals' newfound camaraderie-or at least find out whether the goat's accordion-playing is blue ribbon-worthy. Ages 3-7. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Rhyming text and large watercolor-and-pencil-crayon illustrations tell the story of Farmer Dale, his old red truck, and animals on their way to a talent show in town. An accommodating dog, the farmer stops to give everyone a lift, no matter the creature's disposition or size. First he meets a bossy cow who demands that he "Mooove over!" Next to join them is a singing sheep, and then a skating pig and an accordion-playing goat. At last the load proves too much for the old pickup. The commotion over what to do is settled when Bossy Cow jumps behind the wheel and Farmer Dale pushes the overloaded vehicle. Eventually everyone helps, and the bovine admits that Farmer Dale should steer. Once again the loaded truck rumbles on down to town. With quick brush-and-pencil strokes, the illustrations portray the not-always-flattering human characteristics of the animals, painting additional humor into the story. Particularly revealing is the spread showing the arguing animals crowding next to the thoughtful Farmer Dale. This book will entertain children both at storytimes and one-on-one. -Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
One day kindly Farmer Dale, a dog, picks up various stranded animals in his truck. After it breaks down, the animals band together and push the vehicle to its destination. The rhymes bounce, but the banal denouement--the animals are on their way to a talent contest--doesn't resonate. The crayon and watercolor illustrations of the expressive animals are appealing. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Plenty of wordplay and a rollicking rhythm turn a predictable plot into a practically perfect read-aloud. Farmer Dale, a friendly dog, offers rides to all the animals he encounters on his way to town. When the load proves too much for his old truck, Dale gets out to push. But only when all the other animals agree to help does the truck sputter to life again. Hinted at in a vignette on the title page, the Talent Contest pictured on the final spread explains just why a singing sheep, roller-skating pig, and accordion-playing goat were among those hoping to hitch a ride. Bates's bucolic watercolor-and-wax pencil illustrations show a colorful countryside but keep the focus squarely on the anthropomorphized animals who sport hats, glasses, bowties, and other amusing accessories. Wheeler puns continuously with much of her wordplay, subtly enough to be noticed only on repeat readings. Luckily, this is one ride readers will look forward to taking over and over, allowing them to extract every bit of fun from the trip. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
